storm team 4 radar already picking up some winter weather in the area. that big storm rolling our way right now. and we want to look outside. this will be our last few moments of dry weather. we're in for a nasty mix of rain, snow, and strong winds to kick off the weekend. hold on. it's going to be a fun ride, everybody. good morning. i'm angie goff. >> and i'm richard jordan. today is saturday, december 29th, 2012. a lot of road crews are out. >> yeah, i saw a sign or two saying caution, possible icy

conditions. let's go now to storm center 4. >> for the next couple of hour, until we start warming up, we could see icy conditions out there, especially any of the untreated roads. as far as a lot of locations, temperatures will be warm enough. 39 degrees right now is our temperature. southeast wind at 6 miles per hour. take a look at radar right now. we have that snow coming up toward our north. that's with one area of low pressure. we have another area down south pushing the moisture through southern maryland. as far as the big hole over us right now, by the time we get past the next couple hours, we're going to be fairly dry. then the hole is going to start to fill in. a little bit of sleet mixing in with the rain south. this will be a wintry day for some folks. that will be those folks up to the north. i think temperatures will remain

low enough that when it snows, that snow will stay on the ground. for any untreated secondary roads, it could get a little slippery. louden county, you could get 1, maybe 2 inches of snow. same around montgomery county and baltimore. then mainly rain from d.c. south and east. we'll talk more about what you can expect behind this system after all this snow and we'll look at new year's eve coming up. >> thank you. this winter storm is expected to affect mostly the northern and western parts of our area. news 4's derek ward has been on the roads this morning monitoring the conditions. derek, what have you seen so far? >> reporter: well, so far, not a lot. we did see some flakes at about 5:00 this morning. this is what we've seen a lot of. these trucks with their flashing lights at the ready to treat the roads. some roads have been treated. early this morning, i saw some of that coming in the district

and here in montgomery county. so not a lot they can do now, but they're ready if the conditions should change. we're kind of in a hole right now, but as that hole passes, we'll start to see some precipitation. prudence is the order of the day. >> derek, thank you. road crews around d.c. worked for hours to get ahead of the snow. here's a live look at constitution at 23rd street. yesterday, d-dot announced they would have 200 plows and salt trucks ready to go this morning. the plan, pretreating bridges and overpasses that are prone to icy conditions first. and here's a look in alexandria. that's where they plan to use salt from the brand new salt dome that holds more than 22,000 tons of salt. many workers reported to work at midnight to get ahead of the

snow. we'll be keeping you updated all day. now to the latest efforts to avoid the upcoming fiscal cliff. senate law makes smakers say th planning to work through the weekend to come to an agreement. all sides say they're getting closer to a deal. they're trying to avoid a tax hike on all americans as well as deep spending cuts, but the president said the american people are growing tired of what seems to be never ending gridlock and partisan bickering. >> the american people are not going to have any patience for a politically self-inflicted wound to our economy. not right now. the economy is growing, but sustaining that trend is going to require elected officials to do their jobs. >> right now the plan is to come to an agreement then send it to the senate for a vote. house would then take a vote, which could take place as late as january 2nd. the president will sit down for an exclusive one on one

interview with "meet the press" moderator david gregory. they will discuss the fiscal cliff and other key issues. you can see it here tomorrow at 10:30. we're a little more than 36 hours away from the biggest game of the season for the redskins. the burgundy and gold face off against the cowboys tomorrow night. it's simple. win and you take the nfc east crown. even though we're in redskins country, there are sure to be some divided families tomorrow night. that includes the clark family in capital heights, maryland. half of the family are cowboy fans. half cheer on the skins. mom and dad are heading to the game. dad is hoping to see some upset redskins fans tomorrow night. >> it's nothing like 90,000 just going -- oh, my god. it is beautiful. >> we'll be divorced on sunday. just for sunday though. >> well, as for the little guy in the middle, he might have a

cowboys jersey on, but his mom says he roots for the redskins too. in fact, kids at school have taken to calling him rc3. and you can catch up on everything redskins later this morning on "inside the redskins." that starts at 10:30. of course, we're going to have complete coverage of the big game tomorrow, including pregame analysis on news 4 at 6:00. kickoff is tomorrow night at 8:20 on nbc sunday night football. you know, a lot of people will be tuning in for that. >> yeah, rc3, that's a good nickname. >> that's pretty funny. a lot of families in our area, including my own, very divided. go redskins. six minutes after 6:00. coming up, three people forced to escape a burning home, but not all of them will make it out alive. legal action following the connecticut school shooting. why families of the young survivors want to go to court. and we are tracking the winter storm that's headed our way this morning. crews are out treating the roads right now. we have everything you need to

know as snow and rain move in.

it is 6:09. welcome back.

a live look right now outside union station. seeing that wind having its way with that flag right now. we do have some dry conditions in our immediate area, but changes are on the way. veronica will have the snow forecast in a few minutes. this morning, police in virginia are investigating how a man died after his body was found in a van on the side of the road. an officer discovered the vehicle at the intersection chambridge road. homicide investigators were called in because of what they call suspicious circumstances. one person is dead and two others seriously hurt after a fire ripped through a townhouse in prince george's county. flames ripped through the entire home, burning right through the roof. police have not released the name of the victim. two people were taken to the hospital but are expected to survive. this morning, investigators are still figuring out what started that fire.

and the time now is ten minutes after 6:00. next, the milestone that shows just how bad violence is right now in one u.s. city. plus, the historic event that changed the record books for gay marriage in this country overnight. it's another new storm for us. we have everything from snow to sleet and rain on tap for today. what might be your neighborhood seeing?

a live look at the roads in lorton right now. traffic is already starting to pick up. it's smooth sailing at this point, but you can expect much different driving conditions later this morning as the rain and snow moves in. veronica will have the forecast in a minute. >> it's being called a tragic number. chicago recently reached 500 homicides in the calendar year. the latest was a deadly shooting outside a convenience store. the city's police superintendent says the sad milestone is reflective of gang violence and

illegal guns. but residents say it's much simpler than that. >> there's no magic spell that can end it. you know, it's a matter of people and neighborhoods coming together and deciding that it's not going to happen. >> last year the windy city had 435 murders. the last time chicago reached the 500 mark was in 2008. a new york woman is facing multiple federal charges, accused of helping a man kill two firefighters lured to a burning home. authorities say dawn nguyen bought the guns used in the murders. she was william spangler's neighbor. she bought the guns because he wasn't able to because he was a felon. he shot and killed two firefighters and injured three others before killing himself. the first lawsuit has surfaced in connecticut. it's on behalf of one of the survivors. the hartford current reporters

an attorney is asking permission to sue the state of connecticut for $100 million. he represents an unidentified 6-year-old student who was not wounded but heard the gunshots and screaming. the attorney claims his young client is now traumatized because the school failed to protect his client. >> there's a whole lot of architectural designs they can use in schools to make it much, much harder to happen. she lost a lot of friends who are killed. she really suffered through the horrors of listening to this. >> the attorney also says several of the girl's friends were killed in that shooting. it's the first reported lawsuit since 20-year-old gunman adam lanza opened fire inside sandy hook elementary in newtown. he killed 20 first graders and six adults. this morning, george h.w. bush's health appears to be improving. he's still in a houston intensive care unit after a persistent fever. sources say the 88-year-old is in good spirits, even singing to the hospital staff. bush has been in the hospital now for more than a month.

doctors say they're optimistic about his recovery. if you've ever wanted to go to the presidential inauguration ball hosted by the president, here's your opportunity. the presidential inaugural committee is making a limited number of tickets available to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis. the ball is january 21st at the walter e. washington convention center. you just have to sign up at their website. it's 2013pic.org. you can request up to two tickets after $60 a pop. >> hot ticket in town. >> in 2008, i was covering a ball which is not as fun as going to one and enjoying it. talk about the weather. last night we asked people to send in questions. we heard from tania and diane. they're saying, we would like some snow in woodbridge and fredericksburg. is it going to happen? >> fredericksburg, no. probably sleet and rain there. in woodbridge, yes, but switching to rain after a couple hours.

it's kind of a bummer storm for a lot of people who really wanted snow out of this one. there's not much going on, even right now, because there's so much dry air, as you'll see on the radar, that's worked into the system. not a big storm for today. just a nuance storm for us. let's head over to the weather wall and check out conditions out there right now. we've got 39 degrees. we have snow falling way to our north and west and rain across southeastern maryland. at 39 degrees with a southeast wind at 6 miles per hour. your windchill reading right at 35 degrees. we're not the only ones being affected by this storm system. look at the winter weather advisories. southern areas of indiana through ohio down through areas of southwestern virginia, the mountains of north carolina, and all the way up toward new york for rhode island, massachusetts, the eastern areas, up across new england. this will be a big storm for them, delivering blizzard conditions as one area of blow pressure strengthens just off the coast. we'll see 1 to 3 inches of snow, those counties shaded in purple.

montgomery county, louden county in virginia run on down into areas of warren and around blue ridge. maryland bordering pennsylvania, about 2 to 4 inches of snow. there it could stay on the ground a little longer. slippery conditions for the early part of the day. latter part of the day, as we warm up and we will, i think, by a few degrees. not much. 39 is where we are now. so as that snow comes back into the area, because we did have a few flakes early this morning, a few wet flakes, temperatures will start to drop, and it will support the snow for a while. you're seeing the radar split because of the two areas of low pressure. it's snow mostly up to the north. sleet and rain around the northern neck. then it's snow for winchester, martinsburg. take a look at your future weather here. snow pulls in by 10:00. it all starts to fill in again. then rain starts to take over by

the noon hour. your best chance of snow is before noon today. we clear out by 3:00 p.m. as far as the rain ending up to our north. then temperatures will get plenty cold by sunday morning. that means slippery goings for early sunday morning. cold and windy conditions for new year's eve. increasing clouds. i think we'll be dry. that's some good news. around here, less than an inch of snow before switching over to rain. those areas in purple. over toward anapolis and d.c., 1 to 3. today, 32 to 37 degrees. by later this afternoon, it's mostly rain with the winds picking up, 36 to 41 degrees. then the winds, those will pick up late evening. during the overnight period, around 25-mile-per-hour gusts. by morning, it's up to 30.

the game tomorrow, oh, too cold for the cowboys. temperatures that will be in the low 30s because that game, of course, is late. here's a quick look at your seven-day forecast. again, precipitation today. from snow to rain. tomorrow, windy and cold. cold, too, most of next week. >> i think definitely they're going to be cold at the game, but they're going to be so fired up. >> that's true. >> it won't matter. it's going to be a nail biter. >> thanks, veronica. the time now is 6:21. coming up, how trying to stay warm in this cold weather put one maryland family in danger overnight. also ahead, why you may never again have to worry about an expiration date or declining value on a gift card. plus, the countdown to 2013 and what most people hope to achieve in the months ahead.

we're not the only ones who might be getting some snow this morning. you're looking live at rockefeller center in new york city. the city is getting ready for the huge new year's eve celebration. pretty quiet right now. we'll see if they get some snow. it's the one thing no one wants to kick off 2013, a hangover. but there are some ways you can avoid feeling crummy in the new year. experts say before heading out, eat a hearty meal and drink lots of water. another tip, i didn't know this, eat some asparagus. it's been shown to break down the alcohol in your system faster. if you do wake up the next morning feeling sick, don't follow the old advice of drinking alcohol to help cure the hangover. >> bloody mary is spicy and acidic, two things you don't want when you have a hangover. >> other things to help cure a hangover, bananas, coconut water, and fruit juice. they all help break down the toxins in alcohol and replenish

your electrolytes. we're just a few days away from ringing in the new year. it's the time many start making those new year's resolutions. according to a new marist poll, more people are resolving to lose weight in 2013 than anything else. 17% say they want to shed some pounds. it's followed by 13% who pledge to stop smoking and 10% who want to be a better person. if you think no one actually sticks to their new year's resolutions, 59% of adults say they kept their promises at least for the first part of the year. >> yeah, for the first part. that's the key. >> i think the whole idea is for a year resolution. how about you? you have anything you want to resolve? >> no. well, i mean, i want to get a little more fit and gain some weight. >> are you kidding me? >> i'm trying some new things. >> you're a cover photo. you're a cover boy. you don't need to get fit. all right. 6:26. coming up, the historic event that happened just one minute after 12:00 overnight. and the college in our

region basing a course next semester around the steamy book "50 shades of grey." and we're tracking the potential for a nasty saturday with some winter weather moving in. veronica has the latest forecast models next.

new from overnight, snowplows take to the streets as we get set for another round of winter weather. here we go, everyone. good morning and welcome to news 4 today. i'm richard jordan. >> and i'm angie goff. it is saturday, december 29th. we have that storm system approaching, which could bring our area some snow. meteorologist veronica johnson is watching it all. good morning, vj. >> good morning. i want to stress over and over this is not going to be a big storm for us. most of us are not going to be doing much shoveling at all today, but we will be seeing snow in some parts of our area. there is a chance of light snow until noontime today. mainly d.c. areas north and west. the precipitation should be

ending around 3:00 p.m. today. you can see two areas of precipitation. one rain, pulling up through eastern south carolina, southeastern virginia, and up into delaware. another area is mostly snow coming through west virginia and up into pennsylvania. these two areas of low pressure eventually coming together. there's a lot of dry air over our immediate area now. i think over the next two hours or so, we're going to see more precipitation filling in and us moistening up, if you will. there will be a chance to get some precipitation in here. leonardtown, just out is of there, a little bit of rain, a little bit of sleet. then snow for martinsburg, hagerstown and areas north. winchester there. i-81, it's mostly snow. 39 degrees our current temperature. air temps really helping that sleet that was falling across southern maryland. got reports of it just melting as it was falling. that is going to be the big issue today, trying to overcome the milder air that we have. we're going to cool down a bit

too as we see the snow come into the area. then by the time we get to 3:00 p again, all ending. our best chance of snow, guys, before lunchtime today. there you go. a little bit of shoveling. >> all right. thank, veronica. the winter storm is expected to affect mostly the north and west parts of our area. our derekward is in bethesda with a look at how things are looking right now. >> reporter: good morning. as we heard from veronica, it's mainly going to be an event that's going to be felt on the roads. if you take a look behind me, this sort of says it all. crews have been out at the ready. i've seen some trucks out treating the roadways. right now, temperatures here seem to be above freezing, so you're not going to have much of an issue. obviously, there's nothing falling. that doesn't create a system or a purpose for them to go out on the roads. but they are ready. if you do happen to go out, that's what you should look for, especially before the sun comes up, as temperature may drop again. we understand they are going to rise. again, just a matter of being

careful and driving. you know, that's adequate for whatever conditions you encounter once you get out on the road. places north and west of us may see heavier precipitation than those close? but just be aware of what's on the roads. these crews are out here to help you so if any precipitation does fall, it will be treated. we're live in montgomery county. now back to you. >> all right. thank you, derek ward, keeping us updated from bethesda. the impending winter weather has many hitting up their local hardware stores for supplies. shovels, rock salt, and deicing fluid were flying off the shelf. people were making sure they were stocked up for the winter, even if nothing hits the ground. >> what do you anticipate with the weather? >> not much, really. i mean, they're saying 1 to 2. they're also saying possibly up to h4 inches. that's what i'm worried about. >> possibly? >> yeah, possibly. just to be prepared. >> possibly. some customers said they were getting the rock salt not for their driveways but to actually

weigh down their cars so they don't slide on any snow or ice. in virginia, people in louden county are preparing for the third snow event they've gotten just this week. many people are off from work for the holiday and found themselves in hardware and grocery stores stocking up on essentials like salt, ice scrapers, shovels, as well as enough food for a couple of days. a harsh reminder about the dangers of using kerosene heaters durk the cold winter months. a woman until northeast maryland was refilling a kerosene heater when it sparked a fire, giving her second-degree burns and sending flames throughout her home. it took 40 firefighters almost an hour to put it out, but the home is considered a total loss. another person and a dog escaped without injury. the other big story in our area, the looming fiscal cliff. in the past 24 hours, there's been newfound optimism that democrats and republicans could come to a deal before december 31st. president obama met with house and senate leaders yesterday.

lawmakers are hoping for a deal to help avoid tax increases for everyone as well as massive spending cuts in defense and other areas. if a deal can be reached, the senate would vote on it first and then it would head to the house. the latest the house would vote on a possible deal is january 2nd. the final full day before a new congress takes office. the house is set to return to work tomorrow night, however. speaker john boehner told fellow representatives there would be a session at 6:30 tomorrow night. he said he hopes to have a senate bill in his hand by then that they can vote on. and be sure to tune in tomorrow morning for "meet the press." david gregory will sit down with an exclusive interview with president obama. you can see "meet the press" here on nbc 4. the show starts at 10:30. new this morning, many same-sex couples in the state of maine can now say they're married. that state began allowing

same-sex marriages at 12:01 this morning. many places throughout the state stayed open into the night to accommodate couples who just didn't want to wait any longer. voters in the state as well as washington state and maryland approved gay marriage in november. maryland's law goes into effect tuesday. time right now is 6:35. next on news 4 today, the first amendment versus the second amendment. the strong opposition facing off at a gun show in virginia this weekend. plus, rg3 and the redskins take on those cowboys tomorrow. what the star quarterback has to say about his nerves ahead of the big game. and winter weather is arriving to start off the weekend. we'll tell you where you'll see snow, who's going to get rain. it's all coming up next.

welcome back now at 6:39. a live look over at national harbor pointing toward the river. things are calm and quiet right now. we are in for a nuance storm, as it's being called. nasty weather moving in. veronica will have the snow forecast in just a few minutes. twice in the same month someone died in new york city after being pushed in front of an oncoming subway train.

in the latest bizarre case, people a police are looking for a woman who pushed an unsuspecting man to his death. >> reporter: a heavy set woman around 5'5" with brown or blond hair last seen wearing a blue, white, or grey ski jacket who is thought to be behind a brutal crime. over the loud speakers for everyone to hear, this sfran the nypd's detective bureau drove slowly around the subway entrance hoping to find the suspect. >> i'm praying, but i'm -- >> reporter: he was driving his cab near the subway station near the time emergency vehicles were rushing to the victim's aid. >> the bullies and ambulance, firefighters -- it's going fast,

fast, fast. but that time, i didn't know nothing. >> reporter: he was a native of calcutta and commuted back and forth to the printing company he recently helped open. authorities believe the woman seen running on this security video pushed him off the platform video while his back was turned to the track, right into the path of an oncoming train. >> i would never forget the sounds of that. we talked about it all night. we stayed up watching the detectives and everything. >> reporter: this latest incident has once again shaken commuters, still shocked by the fatal subway push that happened just weeks ago at the 49th street station in manhattan. as for a motive, authorities aren't sure. witnesses don't report seeing the victim and the suspect arguing or even talking any time before this incident. the "today" show is next. >> let's get a preview of what they're working on. erica hill is joining us live from new york. good morning. >> hey, good morning. coming up on a saturday morning

on "today," we're going to have much more on that snowstorm making its way up the east coast this morning. could snarl traffic on the roads, but also in the skies for millions of travelers this holiday weekend. we'll be keeping you up to date on that. also, washington lawmakers racing against time to come up with a deal to avoid going over the fiscal cliff. this morning, we are life in washington. we'll also look at what this means for you and your paychecks. some hard numbers here on what it could cost you if no deal is reached. also ahead, a college student gets a restraining order against her own parents. wait until you hear what drove her to it. and if you have a gift for the holidays that isn't what you were hoping for, we'll show you what happens to many of those unwanted gifts and how they're sold at deep discounts. all that, plus a look back at 25 years of weekend "today" when we get started on a saturday morning right here. have a great day. >> thanks, erica.

you too. i can't return my gift from angie. it's personalized. >> i personalized it so he couldn't re-gift. >> smart. >> thanks, erica. today a crowd of enthusiasts are expected at the annual nation's gun show. yesterday, the show was packed with gun owners looking to buy firearms worried about a possible ban on assault weapons. protesters are headed out too. >> we wear pink. >> joan plans to bring her pink coat to the gun show. these pictures are from the show's website of a previous show's display, but she's not going to check out the guns and ammunition. she says she will protest against what she calls loose rules when buying and seling firearms. >> the energy is really surprising. >> she works with code pink, the group primarily made up of women, advocates for social

justice. code pink received widespread recognition when two supporters dramatically interrupted last week's nra news conference. but the tactics for the gun show demonstration will be different, focused more on dialogue. either way, there will be a huge audience. >> these shows have been jammed. we're expecting that one to be just maybe set records. the gun shows have been getting cleaned out of ammunition and guns. >> the connecticut school shooting and talk of stricter gun control is partly why the show will be packed. the suggestion by some gun lobbyists to increase the number of armed guards in public schools is drawing the opposition. >> we don't want to every time we turn around have -- like when you're in union station and come down the escalator and there's a few police there with guns slung over and the -- i hate that. >> but gun advocates say the

protests planned won't accomplish much. >> i don't know what they're protesting other than just to protest. they might need to -- maybe they should be protesting somewhere else and talking about mental health. >> the nation's gun show runs through tomorrow. protesters say they plan to be there until the end, weather permitting. people in canada are digging out this morning after a major winter storm. the toronto area got around 4 to 8 inches. the storm then moved east and slammed ottawa and montreal. not only did the snow cause problems on the roads, but it also delayed or canceled dozens of flights in that area. today, people in the air re can get their first dose of skiing. liberty mountain resort opens its doors to skiers and snowboarders for the first time this season. we have a live look at the resort's web cam as they prepare to get the skiing season underway. limited terrain opens to the public at 8:00 a.m. round top is also set to open this morning. white tail and wisp are already open to skiers.

>> ski lovers are ready for this. >> and snowboarders. >> some people not ready for it though. we heard from a viewer. she said, i'm walking my doggy, snowing a tiny bit in frederick, maryland. doggy needs to hurry up so we can get inside. >> we can relate. it's like, let's go, let's go. i stand in the garage and make the leash really long. i'm fine. so for people who sleep too late today, they could miss the snow entirely. we're expecting the snow prior to about noon today. it'll be, i think, cold enough in areas to our north. you heard frederick, maryland, already getting light snow. kind of the big, wet flakes, if you will. let's head outside, see what's going on. we have cloud cover and dry conditions over d.c. dry conditions over much of the area right now. we've been talking about this for days, how this is really two areas of low pressure we're dealing with.

it's the one area of low pressure to our west that will be delivering most of our precipitation today. where it will be the snowiest is right here, those counties shaded in purple. we could see 1 to 2 inches of snowfall in howard county. montgomery county, louden county, you could see around 1 to 2 inches of snowfall. off to the west in the blueridge, with more in the 2 to 4 inch range. all right. rain down to the south and east of d.c. for today. it's 39 degrees right now in d.c. windchill reading at . not too bad. tomorrow, much lower windchill readings because it is going to get gusty behind this system. 36 in leesburg. annapolis, you're at 40 degrees. the locations just north running at about 32 to 34 degrees. the road temperatures run a

degree or two lower. it could get a little slick when this moves in. that's that secondary area of low pressure. frederick and hagerstown is wet with snow. we have had reports of sleet mixing in with the rain. across the northern neck in southern maryland, that's from the area of low pressure that's just going to graze us. that's going to become the main low, delivering blizzard conditions to areas of northeastern new england, around boston, and around rhode island. hagerstown, frederick, martinsburg all getting the snow. that's why you're seeing the white on the radar. what we'll be seeing today is the area west coming east. by 8:00 a.m. this morning, it's gaithersburg, areas around fa fairfax probably seeing a mixture of rain and snow. by 10:00 a.m. this morning, the rain starts to take over. again, you could miss it if you sleep too late. snow chances before noontime

today. it's out of here by 3:00 and 4:00, the precipitation. we clear out. skies will start to clear. winds will start to pick up. as temperatures drop early sunday morning, it gets a little slippery on those areas north that will pick up the snow. then we're cold and windy again for sunday with sunshine. for monday, increasing clouds for your new year's eve. at the stroke of midnight, i think for the most part we're going to be dry. there may be a few early scattered rain showers coming in to the area. we could see some snow showers on new year's day, the latter part of the day. here is your forecast. 2 to 3 inches of snow in frederick, westminister. mostly rain around d.c. for this afternoon, 36 to 41 degrees. let's look at your evening forecast. clearing, cold, and turning very windy as you check out the four-day forecast here. for the redskins game tomorrow,

39 degrees, sunshine, windy, and cold by the time the game starts, which will be around 8:00 or so. just after 8:00. temperatures will be down around 32 degrees and then dropping. make sure you bundle up if you are going to be headed to the game. wednesday, thursday, friday of next week your high around 36 to 40 degrees. that's what's going on right now. if you guys see any weather taking place, make sure you send in your pictures. >> or you could tweet us. >> there you go. >> thank, veronica. well, billions of dollars in emergency funds could be on the way to victims of hurricane sandy. the senate approved yesterday an emergency spending package worth more than $60 billion. it may not fare as well in the house where gop leaders favor a smaller package, at least for now. the storm was the most costly snatch ral disaster since hurricane katrina in 2005.

>> the clock is ticking toward a deadline for a free foreclosure review. monday is the deadline to ask for a free review if your home was in foreclosure in 2009 or 2010. millions are eligible, but fewer than 400,000 have requested one. the review stems have a settlement. homeowners may have ignored the letters because they resemble ones sent by scammers. if you got a gift card as a gift this year, you probably know some of them have fees and deadlines. one lawmaker wants to change all that. connecticut senator is proposing a gift card consumer protection act. the law would ban service and inactivity fees and prohibit expiration dates. of course, it's great for consumers, but not for companies that issue those gift cards. an industry representative says the proposed changes could mean the end for some gift card

programs. another weekend of light track work on metro for the holidays. green line trains will be single track between greenbelt and college park. sunday night, metro will be open an extra hour so fans can get home from the redskins game. also, sunday right red line trains will single track between friendship heights and medical center. on new year's eve, the tracks will close at 2:00 a.m. coming up on news 4 today, the new developments we could see today that could help bring that long nhl lockout to an end. plus, a steamy topic for college students next semester. the school in our area that created an entire course on "50 shades of grey." and another round of winter weather rolling in. what's ahead for us today. plus, another system headed our way next week. all that coming up. hey, look! a shooting star!

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the book "50 shades of grey" has become a cultural phenomenon, selling millions of copies around the world. now college students will be able to talk about the book and get credit for it. next semester, american university will offer a course about the trilogy. the book will be used to discuss issues of domestic violence and sexuality as well as how social media is used in promoting successful novels. if you're interested in the class, sorry, too late. it's already full. there's a waiting list. >> a lot of interesting conversations, discussions to come out of that one. well, the nhl lockout could soon be over. the league and players union are expected to talk via conference call today in hopes of saving the season. the league reportedly made changes to its offer to the players, and the two sides will meet again tomorrow. in fact, there's so much optimism about this latest proposal, there's talk that the regular season could start as early as january 19th. the league already canceled more than half the season, but would change the schedule to allow at least a 48-game season.

a lot of fans waiting a long time for this. and moving from the ice to the gridiron, rg3 picks up another award and the wizards go for two wins in a row tonight. >> here's this morning's "sports minute." >> good saturday morning, everyone. your sports minute starts with the biggest game d.c. has seen in quite some time. tomorrow night, the cowboys visit fedex field with the nfc east crown on the line. this week, robert griffin iii has been racking up the awards. he was voted to his first pro bowl, and yesterday he picked up his seventh rookie of the week award this season. with the cowboys waiting on deck, rg3 and this team know they can't slow down now. >> it's for all the marbles, whatever you want to say, but don't go out and play scared. you have to play like you have nothing to lose, which is what we've done the past six weeks. ic -- i think we'll continue to

do that. >> the game will be here on nbc 4. we have you covered before the game, during the game, and after the contest, starting with our pregame show. redskins showdown, then redskins final after the ball game. we're going bowling. russell athletic bowl, virginia tech taking on rutgers. fourth quarter, logan thomas connects with cory fuller for a 21-yard touchdown. we're tied at ten and headed to overtime. in ot, a 22-yard field goal attempt. it's good. hokies avoid their first losing season. over to the hardwood. magic, wizards. jordan crawford, he led all scorers with 27 points. nene added 23. wizards win it 105-97. snaps their eight-game losing skid. that was your "sports minute." have a great saturday. the big redskins game

tomorrow night has caused some problems, at least in one maryland family. meet the clark family. half are redskins fans, half are cowboys fans. mom and dad, who root for different teams, are heading to the game tomorrow. mom joked that they are getting a short divorce, just for the day. the little guy in the middle, he's going to be wearing some cowboys colors, but his mom says he does root for the redskins. he looks rg3. his name is reginald clark iii, but his friends call him rc3. they say this is not a bitter rivalry. it's all fun. >> i'm sure it's going to get loud in that house. >> yeah, until tomorrow night. >> let's get a final check of the forecast now. >> we're talking about folks sending in their pictures. a lot of different ways to do it. one is weather@nbcwashington.com. this is one from the other day. this albino deer will be able to blend in today. that is an airplarea that will getting snow